Uncoupling device



Oct. 21, 1930. w. KELSO 2 UNCOUPLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 31, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 1 HQQOOOQQ 21, 1930. w, KELSO 1,779,321

D UNCOUPLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct.21, 1930 UNITED STATES SYLVANIA P TENT; OFFICE 3 WILLIAM KELSO, orPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNoa T0 THEMCGONWAY &

TOR-REY comANY, or rnrsnuaon, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN-UNcoUrLING mavrcn.

' Application filed Au ust 31, 1928. Serial No. 303,337.

My invention relates to an uncoupling de- Car couplers which are in useat the present time are generally provided with means for restraining anaccidental unlocking movement of the lockingblock which serves toprevent an outward rotation of the knuckle.

The function of preventing accidental un-' locking of the coupler as theresult of. shocks and jars incident to train movements is usuallyperformed by the lock-lifter or othermeans for moving the knucklelocking member to unlocked'position. While the means for restrainingaccidental unlocking of the coupler may be generally relied upon toperform the intended function, particularly where the speed of'trains ismoderate, it is the object of my invention to aiford improved means forpreventing the coupler look from accidentally moving to unlockedposition, the improved means being simplein form and reliable inoperation and being capable of employment in conjunction with means nowin use; for locking the lock in' locked position, thereby v serving tosupplement the latter and more fully insuring against accidental releaseof the coupler knuckle.

The principal feature of the invention consists in constituting anuncoupling deviceas a plurality of relatively movable lever members, oneof which is adapted to actuatethe other to cause the latter to performan uncoupling movement resulting in an unlocking movement of the couplerlock, and in combining therewith a bracket rigidly mounted on the car,the said bracket having a pivot post or fulcrum extending through thelever members and being formed below the center of said pivot with a lugadapted to cooperate with one of said lever members to prevent thelatter from accidentally performing an uncoupling movement. r

Other features of the invention pertaining to advantageous structuraldetails and relations of parts will hereinafter appear and be pointedout in the claims. 1

In the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment ofth'e invention! aFigure 1 is a plan view of an'uncoupling device constructed inaccordance with thelinvention, showing its relation to the end of arailway car, the parts being in locked position.

Figure 2 is an elevational viewof the construction shown in Figure 1,theparts'being in locked'relation. a

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly invertical section, show,

ing the relation of the lever members to the pivot or fulcrum bracketwhen the lever members are in normal locked relation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly invertical section, showing the} inner lever member released frominterlocked relation with the pivotbracket. as a result of the initialunlocking movement of the outer lever member. 7 A,

, Figures 5 and 6 are views corresponding with Figure 4 but.illustrating respectively the positions assumed by the parts when Y thecoupler lockis in lockset position and atthe end'of the knuckle openingmovement of the uncoupling device.

Figure 7 is a detail side elevational view of the lever fulcrum or pivotbracket.

Figure 8 is a detail frontelevational; view of the fulcrum bracket. Y iq The car coupler 1 illustrated in'the drawings for the purpose ofdisclosing the relation of the improved uncoupling device thereto is ofthe well-known standard D-t pe. wherein the locking block is moved toloc ed position by a' lifter 2 which extends up: wardly through anopening in the top wall of thecoupler head for operative connection tothe uncoupling device. When in locked position the lock-lifter 2cooperates with the shoulder. upon the interior of the coupler member 3and an outer member 4: whose adjacent ends overlap and are mounted uponthe outwardly projecting pivot post or fulcrum 5 of a bracket 6 rigidlysecured to the car body. The inner end portion 7 of the lever member 3,which extends through the usual eye at the upper end of the lock lifter-2 for a distance sufficient to accommodate the lateral movements of thecoupler, is preferably of cylindrical form. The outer arm 8 of the levermember 4 may be of any desired shape and preferably terminates adjacentthe side of the car. By pressing downwardly upon the arm 8 of the outerlever member, which is accomplished either by hand or by foot, anuncoupling operation of the parts may be effected and if the lever arm 8is fully depressed it induces the extended unlocking movement of thecoupler locking block necessary to produce an. outward rotation of theknuckle.

The outer lever member 4 is pivotally mounted or fulcrumed between itsends upon the pivot post 5, the inner arm 9 of said member being bent soas to extend under the inner lever member 3 at a point between the pivot5 and the coupler, tans enabling an uncoupling movement of the innerlever member to be effected by a downward movement of the outer arm ofthe lever member l The outer end of the inner lever member 3 is formedwith a vertical slot 10 for receiving the fulcrum post or pivot 5, theside Walls of the slot preferably being parallel r and disposed closelyadjacent the pivot pin in order to efficiently guide the outer end ofthe member 3 during its movements. The lever member 4 has a circularopening for receiving the fulcrum post and, together with the innerlever member 3, is maintained in assembled relation to the post by meansof a washer 11 and nut 12. At an appropriate distance from its outer endthe pivot post 5 is preferably shouldered, as at 13, to prevent undueinward movement of the lever members upon the post.

Formed. on the bracket 6 and extending downwardly below the center ofthe fulcrum or pivot post 5 is a lug or projection 14 whose lower end 15is disposed so as normally to extend across the path of unlocking movement of the outer end of the inner lever memher 3. For cooperating withlug or shoulder 15 to prevent accidental unlocking movement of the innerlever member 3 and the locklit'ter 2 operated thereby, the member 3 isfashioned at its outer end with a downwardly extending projection or lug16, the inner side of which is notched or stepped to form a shoulder 17which is intermediate adjacent vertical faces 18 and 19 respectively ofthe locking lug 16. As shown in Figure 3, when the parts are in aposition COII'EESPOIUling to normal locked relation of the couplerlocking mechanism the face 19 upon the downwardly extending lockin gprojection 16 is in overlapping engagement with th outturned end 15 otthe lug ll with which the fulcrum bracket prov led, thus preventin theinner lever member 3 from perlformi an uncoupling rotation arou d thepivot p, 5. It will a o be noted that in case of breakagtge of the innerrti n the lever member 3 disconnection the lock-lifter 2,

genie-alt, of the lower vwtical shoulinner lever in be iccnt face of theoutturned lug 15, cartulcrum bracket, serves (see Fig. prevent excessivemovement or" the l which might result in injury to the ainlnen,especially if the uncoupling device is operated by his foot;

1 1 the traininan presses down on the or )2 Lpling lever member l e arm9 presses upwardly on tie under side of the inner member 3, thus causingthe outer end the latter to move Yard until the upper locking face orshoulder 19 5) W1 th the lap the coop g l face 15 of the i pivotbracket, the parts then occupyi rela i to Wed in Figure 4: A l e do ient of the outer end of the A l A cad ouider l! o v" r M 1 1-! be; Willseat upon LL18 i 11 tinned i is or tnshown in Figure 5 and memos" willremain J! lis relieved 0L um casting 6, .ie said inner levrr a positioncorrespond ii to loclrset position of the coupler locl ing mechanism.

If, howe er, downward movement o1 the outer end the uncouplinglevermembe: continued suiiiciently to cause an ex tended unlockingmovement of the coupler lock for throwing the kn ckleopen, theuncoupling levers will assume the position shown in Figure 6, the lowervertical face or shoulder 18 of the inner lever member 23 standing inoverlapped relation the lug 15 on the pivot casting and thus serving tolimit the inc upling' rotation of the lever mechanism in th event themovement of the uncoupling device has not alreany been arrested by thecoupler lock coming into engagement with tne couplerhead at the end ofunlocking movement. lVhen, as a result of a subsequent coupling rotationof the coupler knuckle, the coupler locking mechanism returns to normallocked position the inner ls ver member 8 rotates so as to unseatundercut -.-';;houlder from the supporting lug 15 of the fulcrum brackethus permitting the le ver members of the uncoupling device to reassumelocked position.

I claim: v

1. An uncoupling device for actuatin the locking mechanism of a" carcoupler, sai device involving an uncoupling lever comprising an outerlever member and an inner lever member, said lever members beingrelatively movable and having overlapping portions,

and the outer lever member being adapted to actuate the inner levermember to cause the latter to perform an uncoupling movement, a brackethaving a fulcrum for cooperating with the overlapped portions of saidlever members, and means for preventing the inner lever member fromaccidentally moving to uncoupling position until after the outer levermember executes a movement toward uncoupling posltlon, said meansinvolving a lug spaced downwardly from said fulcrum and normallyoverlapping a portion of the inner lever member to prevent the latterfrom executing an initial rotary movement with respect to said fulcrum.

2. An uncoupling device for actuating the locking mechanism, of a carcoupler, said device involving an uncoupling lever comprising an outerlever member and an inner lever member, said lever members beingrelatively movable and having overlapping portions and the outer levermember beingv adapted to actuate the inner lever member to cause thelatter toperform an uncoupling V movement, and a bracket having afulcrum for cooperating with the overlapped portions of said levermembers, said-bracket being provided below said fulcrum and in spacedrelation thereto with a lug for coop below said post with a lug forcooperating with said shoulders, one of said shoulders being adapted tooverlap the lug to prevent the inner lever member from executing aninitial rotary movement with respect to said post and the other.shoulderbeing adapted to seat upon said lug to support the outer end ofsaid inner lever member whenthe coupler locking mechanism is in locksetposition.

, 4. An uncoupling device foractuating the locking mechanism of a carcoupler, said device involving, an uncoupling lever comprising an outerlever member and an inner lever member, said lever members beingrelatively movable and the .outer lever member being adapted to actuatethe inner'lever member to cause the latter to'perform an uncouplingmovement, a bracket having a pivot 0st forming afulcrum for the levermem ers, said inner lever member being formed with a slot for receivingthe post and having below said slot a downwardly projection portionwhich is stepped to provide u per and lower shoulders and an intermshoulder disposed at an angle to said upper iate and lower shoulders,andsaid bracket being provided below the pivot post with a lug adaptedto cooperate with said shoulders, sai

upper shoulder normally overlapping said I;

lug to prevent the inner lever member from executing'a'n initialrotary-movement with respect to the pivot post, said intermediateshoulder being adapted to seat upon said lug to support the outer end ofthe inner lever member whenthe coupler locking mechanism is in locksetposition, and said lower shoulder being adapted to overlap said lug tolimit the extent of rotation of the inner lever member with respect tothe pivot post.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 1

WILLIAM KELSO.

inner lever mem er when the coupler locking mechanism is in locksetposition.

3. An uncoupling device for actuating the locking mechanism of a carcoupler, said device involving an uncoupling lever comprising an outerlever member, and an inner lever member, said lever members beingrelatively movable and having overlapping portions and the outer levermember being adapt;- ed to actuate the inner lever member to cause thelatter to perform an uncoupling movement, a bracket having a pivot postextending through the overlapped portions of said lever members, saidinner lever member having an elongated slot for receiving said post andbeing provided below said slot with a plurality of shoulders disposed inangular relation, and said bracket being provided

